The Amazing Lindhaus PB Nozzle

How a vacuum system cleans on a carpeted surface is a function of two vacuum cleaner actions: 1. Suction (Air Flow)
2. Agitation (Brush Roll)

While both actions are very important to carpet cleaning, Agitation is by far the leading concern. It is agitation and brushing that removes soil from carpeting, suction is only the method of moving that soil from the floor to the vacuum bag.

As suction and airflow have reached a practical limit in residential vacuum cleaners, agitation is the leading point of research of vacuum manufacturers. This is exactly the point where Lindhaus makes its mark, the most advanced agitation system available.

In agitation, one premise holds true: Faster is Better.
Unlike most other powered brush systems Lindhaus uses a geared belt drive and independent brush motor to drive the brush at over 5,000 RPM. That is nearly twice as fast as its competitors! The unique brush roll is driven at this speed consistently during cleaning, allowing the Lindhaus PB to surpass all conventional flat belt drive products. Normal single motor vacuums use one motor for both functions, compromising the performance of both functions, and disallowing the use of a geared belt drive.

If geared belt drive is so superior to flat belts, why does not every vacuum use a geared belt? This is a great question; the answer is that the ability to drive a brush at 5,000 RPM is a complicated procedure. First, you must balance the rotating brush to such a high degree that special equipment is required to do so. Otherwise an inferior quality brush would be pulled apart by the centrifugal force placed upon it rotating at such a high speed. Other parts must also be able to work within these tolerances, such as the bristles, bearings, pulleys and belt.

Most all domestic vacuums use a single flat or round belt. This low-tech approach is cheap to manufacture, and adds more consumables to the vacuum (after sales service). When using a conventional vacuum, the moment the brush touches the flooring, slippage occurs. After 10 -15 hours of use, the heat and wear on the belt has weakened it and belt slippage increases; up to 50% of the rotational speed is lost. Remember again, Faster is better.

The belt of the Lindhaus Nozzle is made of synthetics, neoprene and is fiberglass reinforced much like that of an automobile timing belt. In fact the belt is warranted for 3 years, and will last much, much longer. The bearings are sealed true commercial precision bearings, not simply throw away bearings as used in all other domestic vacuums. The bearings are matched by the manufacturer for the speed and load of the application.

The bristles on the brush roller are also commercial quality. The bristles are rated at 600 hours of use before failure. That's 6 - 10 times the life expectancy of domestic brushes. Using the national average of 24 hours use of a vacuum in the normal home per year (about 30 min a week) the bristles on the brush roll could last 25 years before they need replacement.
Even If you vacuumed an hour a day, every day of the year (or if you use the machine for a cleaning service) in two years when the brush is worn you can replace the roller in your home with a normal screwdriver for only $21. Considering that the brush roll is the only wear item, aside from the bags and filters, you can see the low cost of maintenance for Lindhaus Power Nozzles.

Other quality features include convergent bristles, which means two rows of brushes are always touching the floor at one time, pulling everything to the center. The funnel shaped, center mounted brush nozzle intake with a geared belt is also unique to Lindhaus. Consider the typical by-pass vacuum; The belt is driven down one side, and the suction tube is mounted on the other - the dirt on this machine must travel twice as far than when picked up with the Lindhaus requiring a larger suction motor to do the same job (less efficient).

Lindhaus also uses an electronic logic circuit that monitors the brush speed, constantly checking thousands of times per second for a possible overload. On most domestic vacuums this is not required, the brush simply does not spin fast enough, nor is there any direct drive on a flat belt system. This same logic circuit also alerts you via LED lights on the power nozzle when the brush is set too high, or too low. By knowing the correct load that should be placed on the brush motor this circuit can tell you if the brush is at the proper height to clean correctly. No more guessing if the vacuum is adjusted correctly, no more wondering if it is time to replace the belt.

How many times have you inadvertently vacuumed up a throw rug or article of clothing? In a normal vacuum, you at least break a belt, and possibly burn out the motor. With the logic circuit in the Lindhaus nozzle, the machine stops the brush and signals the user with a red light. This allows you to unplug the machine and remove the object from the nozzle before damage can be done. Plugging the nozzle back in automatically resets the circuit and you're ready to clean again.